Between Two Brothers
by Laurie Le May
Summary: One shot based on Night of the Wolf. This is not a Nick/Heath story, but a Nick/Jarrod story. :) Enjoy!


Jarrod's sixteen-year-old brother Nick stepped into the morning sunshine and took a big breath of dewy air. Jarrod, who was preparing his horse for travel back to the university, smiled at the way Nick still managed to carry himself. Shoulders back, the boy had an overriding arrogance about him. He already looked as if he owned the ranch. That'll be the day, Jarrod thought. That pride will get him again if he hadn't learned his lesson this time.

Nick noticed him in the corral and started slowly down the steps. The sore leg was still bothering him. Nick tried to hide the limp.

Jarrod tried not to notice, but he couldn't help chuckling. "I'm surprised Father let you outside."

Nick met the comment with a scowl as he approached. "Go ahead and laugh college man. See what it'll get you. I wonder how you would explain a fat nose to your professors."

Nick hadn't quite gotten over his humiliation of being trapped in that abandoned mine shaft. He'd been underground, in the dark for a day and half the night. Once free of the shaft, the most humiliating thing happened, he'd shed tears. He'd been struggling to shuffle off that undesirable moment since then and was now angry and over-compensating. Being rude to Father at dinner last night-after worrying the devil out of him like that-had cost him his freedom to go anywhere for as long as Father figured he needed to learn his lesson. That could be months.

Jarrod tried to straighten his face. He turned to saddling the horse he'd ridden near to death just to get home three nights ago when he'd known deep down that Nick was in trouble. She was doing fine now, looking rested. Jarrod ran a hand along the horse's neck. She'd been fast. "Good girl." He patted her.

Nick crossed his arms atop the tall white fence that separated them, looking a little more comfortable to get the weight off his right leg. It had been badly bruised when one of the mine's support beams collapsed on it, keeping him from escaping the shaft. He'd been damned lucky no bones had broken.

"Why are you leaving so soon?" Nick asked.

Jarrod walked over to him. "Exams brother-boy. Next week. I've already lost four days study."

Nick scowled. "It was your decision to come. Far be it from me to keep you from studying." Nick dropped his chin on his crossed forearms.

Sympathy gnawed at Jarrod. Since he'd left, Nick had to take up the slack. From the looks of things, he hadn't exactly been able to fill the eldest brother's shoes-yet.

Jarrod reached into his coat pocket and withdrew two cigars. He offered one to Nick.

Nick's eyebrows shot up, but he only nodded and accepted. Jarrod watched him bite the end off and spit it to the ground, and grinned at the slight reaction Nick had to the bitter taste. He withdrew a cigar-cutter from his pocket and snipped his.

Jarrod lit his with a match, offered the flame to Nick.

"Just don't breathe it in."

"I know." Nick replied, annoyed.

Nick had only taken one draw from the pungent tobacco, when the front door opened and out stepped the prettiest little girl Jarrod had ever seen, his sister Audra. Six-years-old and already a stick of dynamite.

"Here it comes," Nick ducked, dropping the cigar and stomping it in the dirt.

"Are you smoking, Nick?" The blonde angel shouted from the porch.

"If she could only be a little louder," Nick muttered. "No!" he shouted back with a cough.

She meandered a bit, seeming curious about what her two grown brothers were up to, but in that princess dress and those shiny black shoes, she balked.

"Nick!" Audra shouted again.

"For God's sake," he muttered. "What?""

"Papa wants you inside-now!"

Nick turned, his mouth twisted for a snide remark. "Well, you can tell Papa-"

"Nick!" Jarrod cautioned. "I swear. Haven't you learned anything?" Audra would repeat every word to Father. The little tattle tale.

"Tell Father I'll be right in," Nick said to Jarrod's audible sigh of relief. "You go on in and play with little Gene, y'hear?"

Audra stiffened her indignant arms and stomped her right foot. When she saw Nick wasn't moving, she spun around and went back into the house.

"That sweet little girl ain't so sweet anymore, Jarrod," Nick lamented. "She's changed since you left."

"She's growing up. She'll snap out of it. Just don't give her any sweets until she does." Jarrod straightened. "You'd better go. I'll be up in a minute to say good-bye.

"Well, next time you come, we're going fishing. You can catch a trout a foot and a half long down at the creek."

Jarrod smiled. "Is that right?"

"Sure it is."

"It's settled then," Jarrod decided. "I'll be back after exams."

"Great!" Nick smiled broadly at that, but then remembered to scowl again. "You just make sure you do that, all right?"

He turned and limped back up to the house, this time, the walk seemed easier.

Jarrod looked around at the house, the stables, and all the grounds that had always been kept up perfectly. Pride came to him then and he stuck the cigar between his teeth and grinned. Life really couldn't get any better than this. Knowing his family was still safe and getting back to normal and that he would soon be spending more time with them made him feel like a lucky man indeed.


End file.
